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Panasonic HDC-SD1 Camcorder Reviewby John NeelyPublished on Apr 2, 2007 6:00 PM
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Comparison
Panasonic HDC-DX1
The Panasonic HDC-DX1 ($1299 MSRP) is an SD1 that was pumped up with steroids and beaten with the ugly stick. Its titanic battery, colossal size, and boulder-like weight place the DX1 miles behind the SD1 in the portability arena. The DX1 is significantly unsexier than the sleek, compact SD1, and most of it has to do with the fact that the DX1 is a bulky DVD camcorder with an oversized tape hatch. In terms of quality, both camcorders feature 3 CCDs that crank out 1680K gross pixels. The difference this makes in low light seems nil, according to our testing thus far. Both camcorders have identical 5.1 channel Dolby Digital built-in microphones, the same 3” wide LCD screens, and matching price tags. You just need to decide whether you’d like a big honking DVD camcorder or a lustrous little AVCHD camcorder.
Sony HDR-SR1
The Sony HDR-SR1 is very similar to the SD1 in terms of video quality. It has a 1/3” ClearVID CMOS sensor netting 2.1 gross MP, but only 1.4MP are effective in 16:9 recording. Both are AVCHD camcorders, only the SR1 records to a 30GB hard drive. This is limiting when you pin it against the 4GB SDHC card included with the SD1. An avid videographer has the choice to purchase a surplus of AVCHD cards for longer shoots, but the SR1 can only accumulate so much footage before requiring it all to be dumped onto a computer. Unless you carry a laptop with you everywhere, the SR1 will bog you down in terms of recording time.
The SR1 does have the upper hand when it comes to additional features and practicality, boasting a multi-purpose ring control, headphone jack, Active Interface Shoe, and expandable battery chamber. It also captures bigger still images. For an extra $200, the SR1 packs a harder punch than the SD1. In this case, it would be wise to do a self exploration in order to discern whether you are a hard drive or SD camcorder worshipper. It could save you $200.
JVC GZ-HD7
This is a bit of a price jump here, but the JVC GZ-HD7 ($1799.95 MSRP) is the talk of the town in HD Land. This camcorder has the ability to record video at a data rate of up to 30Mbps, which blows the AVCHD format’s 15Mbps average out of the water. This is done using JVC’s brand new MPEG-2 Transport Stream technology, an entirely unique system that you won’t find on any other camcorder. On top of that, the HD7 can record up to 5 hours of video in SP mode on its 60GB built-in hard drive, allowing for easy transfer to a computer while the AVCHD format will leave you running in circles. Like the SD1, the HD7 is equipped with 3 CCDs, totaling a hefty 1710K gross pixels, which is slightly more than the SD1’s 1680K. However, the doubled transfer rate should most likely give you twice the video quality, perhaps a notable edge over HDV and DV video as well. The HD7 also has a manual focus ring and S-video connection. Although this desirable piece of machinery is bereft of a proper release date, it is worth waiting for if you have the cash to drop. $500 will separate the men from the boys.
Panasonic SDR-S150
The Panasonic SDR-S150 ($999 MSRP) is a pocket-sized MPEG-2 based power plant with three 1/6” CCDs, a 10x optical zoom, and an impressive gamut of manual controls. The SD1 is pretty much the same deal, only with a 12x optical zoom, mic jack, MDMI terminal, 5.1 channel Dolby Digital built-in microphone, and all the smooth, buttery style that could possibly be churned back at the camcorder ranch. Yes, you get more with the SD-1, but for an additional $300. If you can spare the cash, the SD-1 is probably the better buy. If not, the S150 will hold its ground in the video quality department, and prove to be highly conducive to hidden camera shorts.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters
This is the Cadillac of point-and-shooter camcorders. Mom will love it because it’s so easy to use, especially on the sidelines of little Jack’s championship soccer match. Dad will want to show it off to all of his golfing buddies and insert the words “high definition” in every other sentence while downing a Miller High Life. The SD1 is for point-and-shooters with money who live in development houses in New Jersey.
Budget Consumers
The SD1 will give you great video quality, a primo built-in microphone, and a big LCD screen. However, at $1300, we’d hardly consider that economically feasible within the budget consumer’s thrifty lifestyle. Our advice: Save your cash and go for an HDV camcorder like the Canon HV20 or Sony HDR-HC5, which are both compatible with editing programs and compress at a much higher quality 25Mbps.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid
The SD1 takes stills with a maximum resolution of 1920x1080, which isn’t terrible until you compare it to the Sony HDR-SR1’s 2304 x 1736. The Canon DC50 records great stills and provides a levels chart with each image in playback. Based on the technology stuffed into the mighty little SD1, Panasonic could have improved here. The image quality is great, but the resolution does not cut it.
Gadget Freaks
. Gadget freaks will skip down the aisles of Best Buy with the only camcorder that looks like a component found in a nuclear reactor. Aside from its killer looks, the SD1 is an AVCHD camcorder with a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital built-in microphone, 3” LCD screen, and automatic lens cover. But the coolest thing to boast about to other gadget maniacs is that the SD1 records video and pictures to a 4GB stamp-sized chip.
Manual Control Freaks
No focus ring or wheel will deter hardcore manual control enthusiasts, but the joystick-navigated aperture, white balance, and shutter speed are hefty offerings for such a compact, point-and-shooter geared camcorder. The manual microphone level controls (Set+AGC and Set) are features not found on most other camcorders in its class, and is sure to be a hit amongst manual control freaks.
Pros / Serious Hobbyists
Pros and serious hobbyists will not want to deal with vexing .M2TS files for which there are no known supported editing programs. For the serious hobbyist, the SD1 would fare well as a powerful little backup camcorder, but with so many other options including DV and HDV, the SD1 will most likely stand on the outskirts of this genre. To the advanced videographer, the SD1 is simply an overpriced toy.
Conclusion
The HDC-SD1 looks great, has an earthquake-beating OIS system, and produces decent HD video (more so when compared to standard definition camcorders rather than HDV camcorders). It’s also a Panasonic that point-and-shooters won’t be intimidated by, with a friendlier joystick menu than we’ve seen in the past. It’s also the first consumer camcorder to record HD footage to durable and convenient SD/SDHC memory cards. Yet despite the promise of AVCHD to bring HD video to the cassette-averse masses, the codec just isn’t ready for prime time, with few editing options available and no DVD player support.
Many consumers will find the inferior quality of high definition AVCHD versus high definition HDV footage acceptable. It’s still HD, and if you squint, you won’t notice the increased noise, compression artifacting, and motion trails over HDV. Unfortunately for the SD1, there are better AVCHD camcorders out there, including Sony’s debut HDR-UX1 (now replaced by the UX3, UX5, and UX7) and HDR-SR1. Both of those camcorders feature multi-function Cam Control rings that run circles (or rings) around the Panasonic joystick in terms of manual focus. They also suffer less from the AVCHD “acid trail” problem and include software that at least lets you view footage on your PC, while the HDC-SD1 includes nothing of the sort.
The SD1 does include some features we like to see, especially on a $1300 camcorder, including zebras, MF Assist, a microphone jack, and manual audio levels, but the company didn’t exactly nail them. Zebras can be turned on, but the IRE setting is unspecified making it a dubious tool. MF Assist on the SD1 is helpful, but the Focus Assist feature on Canon’s HV20 is considerably better, both filling the screen with a magnified image and including peaking. Finally, how useful is a microphone jack and manual level control with no headphone jack? The SD1 could have been an excellent camcorder if Panasonic had invested as much time in getting the feature set right as making it look sexy. As it is, the HDC-SD1 like its AVCHD codec isn’t ready for prime time.
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